Twist of Time
by Wicked Lady
Summary: Told you I'd put it back up. Rini uses the crystal to get away only to end up in the old west where she meets a guy named Solo. Is Solo who he says? Will Rini be caught? Why is the shief so stupid? All of this and more will not be answered in this classic


A Twist of Time By: Wicked Lady I don't own any of the Sailor Scouts or anyone from Gundam Wing. I have very little money so don't sue me. All I have is 64 penguins, the One Ring, and a cat named Carson. If you do sue me, don't take my cat or you'll be dead very soon. It will be painful.Thank you.  
  
It all started three years ago. I wasn't like other fifteen year-olds from the start. You see I didn't have many friends. Being lonely, my memory slipped and daydreams blurred into life, but how it all started is so clear in my mind.  
  
The royal court glared down at me. I looked from my mother to my father, then at the Sailor Scouts. They all glared with the same hate filled looks. Tears slid down my face. "Rini," my mother said bitterly, "I would have thought you'd known better then to do something like this. Now give me the crystal before I get angry."  
  
"You mean, this isn't angry? Holy goose, mother, if this isn't angry then I don't know what is! If Saturn was here, she'd agree with me!" I said coyly. Neo-Queen Serenity, my mother, glared. Now if you had an angry queen, king and all but one of royal counsel glaring at you, armed and ready to beat the crap out of you, you'd do only one thing. So I did the first thing that came to mind.  
  
I ran.  
  
Mother and her scouts followed me, but they were all too old to keep up with someone that had my energy. I took out the crystal my mother wanted so badly from me. It pulsed with silver light. "Get me out of here!" I yelled at the crystal.  
  
*Where to my dear?* a humming voice asked.  
  
"Somewhere that not even mother herself can follow!" I barked. What was wrong with me? I was talking to crystal the size of a breaker marble!  
  
The next thing I knew, I was in this darkness. No light, no pain, just endless black. I couldn't even feel ground under me. I floated in the blissful blackness until I felt myself falling. I hit the ground with a loud, painful thud. My vision became very blurred as I tried to look around. Two dark figures stood over me. Then all was dark. Not the blackness I'd been in before, oh no. This darkness hurt like hell.  
  
I woke to find myself on something hard and stiff that someone had tried to soften. Was it all a dream? Was I still at home, sleeping on the floor? My eyesight was still blurry and I could see something moving. I didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the maid, or Saturn-chan, one of mother court. She checked on me all the time. "Hotaru?" I called in a voice that wasn't my own.  
  
A woman laughed. Not Hotaru-chan, or anyone I knew for that mater. It was a new person. I started to get the feeling I wasn't on my bedroom floor and that I wasn't going to like wherever I was. "I'm not Hotaru. My name's Ermma. May I ask what you're name is?"  
  
I sighed. She sounded nice. "I am the Princess Serenity III, please call me Rini." I said sweetly, then again, I'm always sweet. I sugar pink hair for crying out load!  
  
"A princess huh? Oh my husband will hate that. He wanted you to marry our son, cook all day long, and have babies the rest of your life." I laughed. The woman did too. Her blurry figure walked over to me. "Well, since you're awake, can you tell me if there's anything that hurts."  
  
I thought. "Nothing hurts, but everything is all blurry." I saw her check a few things, what I had no idea and write a few things down before she started feeling my head.  
  
She nodded. I guess she smiled too, I couldn't tell. "Well, just drink some water and try to stay relaxed. It should go away in a minute or so." She paused. "Can I get you anything?"  
  
"No thank you, but I would like to know where I am and how I got here." I told her. My voice wasn't my own yet somewhere in my mind, it was.  
  
"You are in Black Forest, Texas. As for how you got here, my godsons Greyson and Steve found you on their way to visit me and my son."  
  
"A son? What's he like?" I asked. Might as well make small talk right?  
  
Ermma laughed. "He's a good boy. Let's see.he's tall, brown hair, blue eyes, and his father's handsome features. He's not as smart as I had hoped he'd turn out, but then again, I wanted him to grow to be like me." I smiled. He sounded nice.  
  
I sat up. My head screamed protest. The woman rushed to me. "Don't be folly! You are to weak to leave bed! Lay down child!"  
  
A smiled formed on my lips. "I'm fine. My head hurt just a moment, but I am better now and can see." Ermma frowned but said no more. Ermma, as I could now see, was not a young woman. Her face was aged, but still kind. Her eyes held a certain wisdom that only the old who live only once held. I respected that wisdom. When you can't die or when you come back moments after, things that should not have been forgotten, become lost.  
  
I jumped off the pillow covered table. "It was nice meeting you, Ermma, but now I must go and...do......stuff." Ermma seemed confused, but she let me leave the room and the small building. I pulled out the silver crystal. "Are we in the past?!" I demanded.  
  
The crystal pulsed nervously. *It was meant to be. A change in the past must have always been intended to be part of time.*  
  
"Be glad you're just a crystal or I'd be killing you right now."  
  
A boy, only a little older then I, brushed past me as he ran past. I span around to look. He was dressed most strangely, even for the past. He wore black jeans and boots. He had no shirt other then an open black vest and a white scarf. On his head was a black hat with a dark brown band around it. With a hand clad in fingerless black gloves, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me along. "What's the big idea?" I demanded in my most royal tone.  
  
The boy grinned at me. "Anyone who sees me has a date with their maker! Can't leave any witnesses behind, now can I?" He ducked into a bar of some kind and yanked me behind the counter. He dropped down and pulled off his hat so a long chestnut braid spilled down his back. He wrapped it around his head and used a bobby pin to hold it. He pulled off the scarf and gloves and yanked a red dress over his head. Had I not seen the transformation, I would have thought him to be a girl. A scowl formed on my face. He looked better then me! He slid the hat, scarf, and gloves into a bag. "Wanna live? I want you to pretend you and me are friends. When the cops come, we haven't seen any bad guys, got it?"  
  
I nodded. "What's your name?"  
  
He frowned as if no one had asked him before and he hadn't thought of what to say. "I'm Solo," he said after a moment.  
  
Now, I knew that wasn't his real name, but Solo was better then nothing. He stood and I did too just as the sherif ran in. He grinned at Solo and I. "Good day ladies. We're looking for a fellow. Anyone been through here?"  
  
Solo opened his mouth, but I cut him off. "We have seen many men today, sir. What does this fellow you seek look like?"  
  
"About you girls' height. Short brown hair. He was dressed in black, white scarf."  
  
I placed a frown on my face. "I am ever so sorry. I haven't seen anyone like that all day. Have you Leia?" I asked turning to Solo. He shook his head.  
  
The sherif nodded and smiled. "Well, sorry to bother you." He tipped his hat to us. "If us see him, you know where I'll be."  
  
Before the plump man could leave, I called out. "This man, what did he do?"  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Well, if you wish simple girls like ourselves to find this fellow for you, I do ever so wish to know what I'm up against. We are not as strong as you!" I said giving him puppy eyes.  
  
The fat flea bag caved. "Not to worry, ma'am," he said, "it's only a disturbance of the peace. Just let us know." The sherif left.  
  
I turned on my heal and glared at Solo. "Disturbance of the peace, huh?" He gave me a cocky half grin.  
  
"I guess that's one way to look at it."  
  
One eyebrow shot up. "What's another?"  
  
Solo grinned again. "Stealing all the horses and tying chickens to the post." He gave me a smug look. "Leia, huh?"  
  
A smile played on my face. "I knew a guy named Solo. His wife was named Leia. I can't very well call any girl a boy's name now can I?" Solo had no need to know that I was refering to Hon Solo and Princess Leia, now did he? This was to far back for TV much less Star Wars.  
  
A strange look passed over his face and for a moment he smiled, but as quick as it came, the thought left him as though he thought better of it. "I too knew a couple by this name. I doubt they were the same." No kidding. I'm waaaaaaaaayyy after this time.  
  
Solo pulled the pins out and pulled the dress off. He opened his bag again and returned everything to it's rightful place. He stuffed his long braid back under the hat. Once again, I was given that goofy grin of his. After a moment, he leaned forward and planted a kiss right on me! At first I was shocked, but before I knew it, It was kissing him back. I pulled back. "What was that for?" I asked breathlessly.  
  
"Oh, nothing," he ran a finger along one of my cone shaped buns, "Rabbit." He hoped over the counter and before leaving he grinned at me and gave a wink.  
  
Never had I felt so strange. Sure, there had been Helios, but it'd been different. Everything had been confusing and insane. Until just now, everything had made sence. Well, other then being caught in the old west.  
  
That day had been a real start for me. After only an hour of being in the little town, Happy Valley, I had already started fitting in. I looped my ponytails twice so they only reached my shoulders and Ermma gave my clothes that she deamed 'propper' and 'normal.' I looked at my self in the less then clear mirror. With a bonnet, I'd look like any other girl from this time. Ermma stepped in holding a white straw hat. "Hello, dear. I thought since all your new dresses are light colors, You'd like a light hat, too." She handed it to me and bowed before stepping out of the room. I smirked and tied the white hat in place. It was small enough to that my hair was uneffected, but would keep sun out of my eyes. I nodded in aproval.  
  
It felt weird to wear all these clothes. The corset was less then pleasnet and bloomers had a weird feel to them. Even with all my layers, the bloomers made me feel naked. I was walking down the dust road in town when a hand grabbed me and pulled me into an ally. "Solo?"  
  
Solo gave a goofy grin. "Hey Rabbit," he said before putting his lips to mine. "Thought you might wanna help me."  
  
Over the pounding in my chest, I asked, "Help with what?"  
  
"Give the horses back." He caught sight of the confused look on my face. "Past week, I've been givin' the horses the settlers steal back to the indians. You wanna help? I'll let you ride."  
  
At the mere idea of riding a horse I grinned. As a princess, I had been given a horse on my sixth brithday when I had only asked for a pony. "I would love to." I giggled as he pulled me along. He stopped when we reached a small barn just outside of Happy Valley. Inside the barn were three horses. One was a pale grey, another white with brown patches, and the last one was black. With Solo's help, I got on the grey horse. He climbed ontop of the white and brown one. "What about the black one?" I asked confused.  
  
Solo looked at the horse in question and smiled. "That's Deathscythe. He's mine."  
  
He owns a horse? In the Old West for one hour and I'm already in live with with a car theft with a cool ride of his own. I so suck.  
  
The Natives turned out to be quite nice. They offered Solo a puff on the 'Peace Pipe,' but he reseptfully declined by saying, "I'd love to, but we haven't the time."  
  
The tribal elders nodded and said that perhaps next time we would have longer. I knew that Solo had plenty of time, but had declinded because I didn't want to go about smoking what surely must have been marojana! Solo and I walked for a time until he suddenly stopped and whisled loadly. The shrill sound echoed across the grand plains.  
  
At first, I didn't understand why he had whisled, but soon, off in the distance I could see the black form of Deathscythe.  
  
Solo offered me a hand in getting on the horse. In all honesty, I didn't need help getting on horses. I was simply taking it because it was from him. We didn't have two horses this time. Solo settled in behind me. Calm now, Rini or you'll screw this up. I leaned back agenst his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder so our checks would touch. "You're a good guy, you know that?"  
  
"Yea, I know. Just don't tell anyone or it'll ruin my image."  
  
I laughed. "I like being here with you, Solo. I don't want it to end."  
  
Solo kissed my check. "Don't worry, no mater what happens, you'll always be my Rabbit."  
  
"And you will always be my Prince Charming."  
That night I twirled around the room. In all sence, I was in only my knickers, but the underwear of the oldwest covered more then most school uniforms in my time so I didn't mind. *We must go!*  
  
"What?" I turned to see the crystal floating before me.  
  
*The queen has found you! We must go now!*  
  
Tears quickly formed. "NO! What about Solo?" I wailed. "I love him. I won't leave without him!" I moved to the door. "I can't leave without him."  
  
The crystal floated into her path. *No, the queen comes now. Solo is gone. He has left this world. We must go now, princess, to somewhere your mother won't follow.*  
  
I stared at the crystal for a long time. Solo was gone? The world crashed and I suddenly felt as though half of me was gone as well. "Let's go." 


End file.
